Assassin Canarrow: Altering The Past, Redeeming The Future
by changingdestiny40
Summary: After Oliver and those he loves dies at the hand of his latest enemy, Prometheus, who has a connection to his past, he is sent back to that past and given a second chance to save his city, prevent certain events such as the Undertaking and the Siege, and prevent his horrible future from repeating. He wont be alone however, four others also having been sent back with him.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, how's it going ? The reason I've been away for so long was because, in addition to laziness, I lost my Word Processor when updating my computer. Thankfully, my dad was able to install a new version onto it. Today's Assassin Canarrow fic will be time travel themed and partially inspired by Phillipe363's fic entitled "Sins Of The Past", which is really good and a fic I recommend to anyone looking for an enjoyable story. This is my first time doing something like this and hope you will all like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own "Arrow" or its characters. They're the property of DC, Warner Brothers, the CW, and its writers.**

Oliver stood, bloodied and tied to a pole, gazing upon the horrible damage surrounding him with tears, anguish, and despair shining through his eyes. All around him there was fire and smoke billowing in the air, representing the death and destruction which had been unleashed upon the city. What was once a symbol of greatness and beauty was now completely overrun by criminals and controlled by the Russian Bratva and their allies, consisting of the Triad and the remnants of the Bertinelli crime family. Below him, on the ground, lay the bodies of all those most important to him, including his team. They were Nyssa, Thea, Roy, Diggle, Lyla, Quentin, Evelyn Sharp, Rene Ramirez, Curtis Holt, Derek Zaba, and Felicity, each of them with a stab wound to their heart.

All of this had started months ago, following the death of Damien Darhk at Oliver's hands and his ascension into the mayor's office, being chosen due to having inspired the people of his city to stand and not give up hope when Darhk had launched a nuclear warhead upon them, though it was dismantled thanks to the ingenuity of Curtis Holt and Felicity Smoak. However, despite Darhk and HIVE having been defeated, their numerous attacks upon the city and its infrastructure had caused it to go into a decline, a decline which was exploited by mobsters and gangsters, namely the Bratva, resulting in a massive crime wave which brought the city to its knees and caused its state to be much worse than it was when Oliver first began his crusade.

Things later went from bad to worse when a powerful gangster named Tobias Church united all of the major criminal networks into a unified coalition and,under his leadership, they launched a wave of attacks throughout the city while mainly targeting Oliver on two fronts, both as mayor and as the Green Arrow, along with his newly formed team which consisted of Evelyn, going by the name of Artemis, Rene, known as Wild Dog, Curtis, who chose the name Mr. Terrific, and Zaba, who was known as Ragman. The attacks were so relentless and devastating that they, combined with the chaos the Bratva was causing, began to dismantle everything Oliver had worked so hard to accomplish since he first became the Arrow almost five years ago while pushing his team to their breaking point, causing them to wonder if the city was truly worth saving.

Eventually, Oliver and his team would come to learn that everything which was unfolding, including the Underworld's rise to power over the city and Tobias's reign of terror, while partly orchestrated by Anatoli, the Bratva head, as punishment for Oliver's betrayal which in turn led to the death of Alexi Lenov, one of Anatoli's most trusted associates, was ultimately being orchestrated by a new, imposing, and deadly adversary who called himself Prometheus, his uniform slightly similar to that of the Dark Archer. They further learned that Prometheus was a loved one of one of the bodyguards for the Bertinellis four years ago, but the aforementioned bodyguard was unceremoniously dispatched by Oliver when the latter went to stop the brewing Bertinelli/Triad gang war caused by Helena Bertinelli's mission of vengeance against her father, making Prometheus collateral damage of Oliver's actions as the Hood, and this whole mess was about punishing Oliver for violently ripping his loved one away from him and his family that night.

Prometheus would also go on to kill Helena herself after she had been released once more by Diggle's wife Lyla in order to help Team Arrow against the mob onslaught, also holding her accountable since it was her actions and hatred which resulted in the series of events leading to his tragic loss. Before she died, Helena had tried to warn Prometheus to think about his actions and what he had planned and to learn from her mistakes and not let the rage and lust for vengeance consume him, lest he fall into darkness. He however refused to listen to reason and killed her anyway, not allowing anyone or anything to dissuade him from his current path.

Following a long, bitter struggle, and despite the extra help given to Oliver by Nyssa and Roy, along with Thea and Diggle, who'd rejoined him, he, his team, and his allies were overwhelmed and defeated by the combined forces of Prometheus, Anatoli, and Tobias, the three villains then going on to storm Iron Heights and releasing all of the prisoners who willingly swore loyalty to them, many of whom having been put there by Oliver, including China White. Afterwards, the released criminals, with backup from their new benefactors, launched an uprising and overwhelmed the city with chaos and anarchy, leading to their takeover of its streets while also attacking police and emergency stations and setting them on fire, declaring that the city was under their control.

The end finally came when Prometheus captured Oliver and his team while also exposing his identity to the city, revealing that the Green Arrow and the Hood were the same person while causing his legacy as the Green Arrow to crumble. Afterwards, he had tied him to the pole on which he was currently bound to, spent hours severely torturing him while spewing out threats, and things finally culminated in Prometheus's murder of all of his loved ones and teammates right in front of him, starting with Nyssa. As much as each of their deaths caused him great pain and an overwhelming sense of loss, it was Nyssa's death which hurt the most. Months after his and Felicity's breakup and a few months after Nyssa joined his team, they had gradually begun developing feelings for each other, he because of her beauty and strength and her because of his bravery and nobility. But now she was dead, and it was too late for them to confess their feelings to one another.

The sound of footsteps approaching interrupted Oliver from his thoughts and caused him to look upon the face of his terrifying new enemy.

"Do you see all of this death, your entire city on fire and in the hands of those who care nothing for it except for its ruin ? Do you see the lifeless bodies of everyone you loved lying here on the ground at your feet ? All of this is your doing. I may have killed all of these people, but all of this blood and loss is on your hands and all because you were so trigger happy all those years ago that you didn't stop to consider that those you killed had families and loved ones who wouldn't take to kindly with YOU VIOLENTLY RIPPING THEIR LOVED ONES AWAY FROM THEM, MY OWN INCLUDED !", Prometheus screamed at him, his eyes blazing with hatred and disdain.

Oliver looked into Prometheus's eyes with his own pain filled ones, feeling pity for the man in front of him and wishing that he could've done things differently, if only to prevent both of their suffering.

"I understand what you are feeling, and if I could change the past and do things differently that night, I would. I do want you to know that I really am sorry for the loss you suffered and for the pain I caused you and your family."

"Maybe you are sorry, and maybe you truly mean those words, but that doesn't change the fact that he's dead and isn't coming back, or that none of us can change the past. But the way I see it, if you can't save those you love, the least you can do is avenge them."

Having said those words, Prometheus stepped back, took an arrow from his quiver, and attached it to his bow.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way Oliver, but actions must have consequences, and now, it is time for you to join your friends." Prometheus then raised his bow and drew it back while Oliver stared at him unflinchingly, prepared to meet his death and ready to be with those he loved, especially Nyssa and Sara, him having been informed of the latter's death and the deaths of her fellow Legends by an acquaintance of theirs named Rex Tyler.

"Oliver Queen, Green Arrow, the Hood, or whatever name you go by, you have failed yourself, you have failed your friends, you have failed my family, and, as you used to say, YOU HAVE FAILED THIS CITY!", Prometheus finished with a scream and then released the arrow, straight to Oliver's heart. As he felt the arrow pierce him, his mind flashed back to everything in his life, his triumphs and tragedies, the faces of his family and friends, and finally, the beautiful faces of Sara, who he realized was the true love of his life and not Felicity, and Nyssa, a woman who he could've potentially been happy with if it hadn't been for Prometheus. Afterwards, everything went black.

 **To be continued**

 **A/N And that was the first chapter, which could also be considered the prologue. What did everyone think so far ?**

 **In regards to Ragman/ Zaba, he'll be a new vigilante in season 5 and Oliver will take him under his wing, along with Artemis, Wild Dog, and Mr. Terrific. Because of that, I assume he'll be part of the new Team Arrow. That's why I made him a member within this fic.**

 **As for the choice of words I used, such as Tobias and the Bratva pushing the team to their breaking point, Prometheus dismantling Oliver's legacy, Tobias uniting the criminal groups, and the city being overrun by crime and mainly because of the mob, all of this was revealed to happen in season 5 by the writers, who also used these exact same words. They said that villains connected to Oliver's past would push his team to its breaking point and threaten his legacy as the Green Arrow and everything he's worked for. They also revealed that there would be a crime wave and it would be a consequence of Darhk's actions, along with the info that the crime wave would be caused by the mafia and that the mobsters would rule over the city. Tobias will also work to unite all the criminals under his leadership and use them to defeat the Green Arrow.**

 **I made Anatoli an enemy because, as I wrote above, the Bratva will be one of the main antagonists in the present and I believe will be the main source of the crime wave. Since Anatoli is their leader, that makes him responsible for their takeover of the city. That leaves the question as to why he'd allow the them to wreck Oliver's home despite their friendship. However, as one online article pointed out, there's going to have to be some fallout from Oliver's actions towards the Bratva in season 2 during his war with Slade, especially since they lead to Alexi's death, and I doubt Anatoli was happy about that. The Bratva overwhelming the city could be punishment from Anatoli for what Oliver did back then. Plus, Oliver in season five will be fighting the Bratva as the Green Arrow and probably also as mayor. That is a major betrayal and especially after Anatoli made him a captain.**

 **Besides, Wikia said that the villains would be sinister players with a connection to Oliver's past, and they're obviously going to be the Bratva and Prometheus.**

 **Regarding the background I gave for Prometheus, I chose it because he's been described as collateral damage of Oliver's actions as the Hood and is out to avenge a violent, tragic loss. That shows he's somehow connected to or very close to someone Oliver killed in season one. I've speculated that it may have been one of Oliver's enemies who he killed as the Hood and there have probably been others who've speculated as to who Oliver killed that made Prometheus so angry. One YouTuber guessed that his parents were on the List from season 1, so maybe Oliver killed his parents, finding them too dangerous to be kept alive.**

 **However, I've currently come to the possibility that Prometheus's loved one might not have been an enemy from season 1 or even someone from the List. Since he's described as collateral damage of the Hood, suffered a tragic loss, and I think Mericle added this, but we'd also feel a bit sorry for him, what if he was actually a relative or loved one of a bodyguard who worked for one of the villains in season 1, and Oliver killed the bodyguard in the heat of battle or more likely took him out without full provocation, seeing him as an obstacle to his mission ? I've been watching a collection of Oliver's season 1 fights lately on YouTube, and I've noticed that when he went on a mission, he started by killing the bodyguards before infiltrating the villain's compound. In fact, he used lethal force as a first result against any potential opponents instead of as a last result.**

 **Its clear from season 1 that Oliver's mentality, which was given to him by Slade, Waller, and Anatoli, was not just to kill the target but also anyone who stood between him and the target, even if the obstacles didn't attack first. That is probably how operatives are trained, such as James Bond, Jason Bourne, and agents of both S.H.I.E.L.D and especially HYDRA. Therefore, when he entered a building, his thinking, which stemmed from his training, was probably to just go ahead and eliminate anyone who could possibly be a hindrance to his killing or arresting the target, except for honest policemen or unarmed civilians.**

 **I've also had this idea which might sound crazy to others, but what if some of the bodyguards were actually innocent and unaware of their employers crimes, thinking that their legitimate front businesses were their only businesses, and were just doing their jobs but were at the wrong place at the wrong time ?**

 **As for making the bodyguard who was killed by Oliver, the one Prometheus in my version wanted to avenge, someone who worked for the Bertinellis, I borrowed it from a scene during the second episode of the Helena arc in season 1. In it, a bodyguard is shown running up the stairs in the Bertinelli mansion when, out of nowhere, he's hit with an arrow and sent tumbling back down the stairs while the Hood stands over him from the top stairway. If you guys are interested, perhaps you can try and find that scene on YouTube by typing in "Bertinelli/Triad war" or "Oliver rescues Frank from the Triad".**

 **Again, what if that bodyguard was innocent and just doing his job, or if**

 **he was guilty, he was only looking to see where the gunfire was coming from and accidentally ran into the Hood, who either way, saw him as an obstacle to stopping a gang war, so down the stairs he went ? As a matter of fact, I've imagined a scenario in which the bodyguard heard the commotion and made it his first priority to protect his own family, which included Prometheus, and brought them to a safe place while tasking him (son, nephew, younger brother ?) to protect them while he went to investigate. However, Prometheus, being concerned for the guy, followed after him after insuring that the women (mother and sister or aunt and cousin ?) were safe. But when he caught up to him at the bottom of the stairway, there came his loved one, falling down the stairs with an arrow in his chest while the Hood stood at the top of the stairs. Then Prometheus had to report the tragic news to their family after it was safe and they all cried over his body while swearing vengeance upon the Hood.**

 **If my above scenario turns out to be Prometheus's origin story on canon, then I can see him killing Helena. It was ultimately her fault Oliver was even at the mansion that particular night. She might try to use that to take the heat off of Oliver, but Prometheus, like any villain, won't listen.**

 **The final possibility is that Prometheus's relative was somehow caught in the crossfire between the Hood and the villains, and Oliver accidentally killed him when trying to kill a legitimate target. That would be similar to what some drone strikes have done. They target our nation's enemies, but there have been reports of civilians caught in the strikes. Horrible accidents. Something similar could've happened to Oliver during one of his season 1 missions.**

 **Rex Tyler is the guy on the "Legends" finale who stoppped the team from getting back on the** ** _Waverider,_** **or they would die. That's also where I borrowed Sara's death from.**

 **Finally, the time travelers within my fic will be Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, Roy, and Thea, and this will be Assassin Canarrow with Thea/Roy as the side pairing.**

 **Have a wonderful day.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone, and I'm sorry about the delay. The reason I've been gone for so long is because of two reasons. First, I'm lazy and also didn't feel like writing and that played a big factor in it. Secondly, I lost internet connection to my laptop for months until just recently my dad provided me with something that restores it. But now I'm back with the second chapter and I hope you'll all enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own "Arrow".**

Opening his eyes, Oliver suddenly found himself in a beautiful realm that was filled with stately looking trees with sparkling leaves and luscious, juicy looking fruits, including berries, hanging off their branches. Around him were meadows of beautiful multicolored flowers whose scent wafted into the air and made it smell like the most delicious perfume. In the distance he noticed a majestic, towering waterfall which originated from a broad enclave and poured downwards into a lovely lake at the bottom. Above, the sky was pure white and filled with light, brighter than the sun, casting an ethereal glow upon this wondrous place.

Oliver took a moment to admire this world he was in, truly appreciating its beauty and splendor, before stopping and trying to figure out how he ended up here. All at once, the memories came rushing back to his mind like a flood: the battle with Prometheus, the deaths of Sara, Nyssa, and all of his loved ones and teammates, the city in ruins and overrun by the criminal underworld, and his own brutal death at Prometheus's hands following his exposure as the Arrow and the Hood to the world. At that moment, he was able to surmise where exactly he was. After all, it didn't take a genius to realize that he was in some version of the afterlife.

All of a sudden, Oliver heard someone calling out to him. He turned, and to his surprise and happiness, he saw Sara, Nyssa, Thea, and Roy running towards him. He immediately began moving in their direction and managed to close the distance between them. Thea and Roy were the first ones to reach him and he pulled them close, one arm wrapped around Thea as she cried into his chest while his other arm was wrapped around Roy's shoulders, hugging them both. After the three of them parted, Sara was the next one to reach him and she quickly launched herself onto her friend and the man she still loved with all her heart, who engulfed her into his strong arms, both of them crying into each others shoulder. They eventually extracted themselves from the embrace and stared into each others watery eyes.

"Oh my goodness Ollie. It's so good to see you again", Sara told him while continuing to cry. "I only wish that our reunion was under better circumstances than this."

"Me to Sara. However, I'm just happy to see you again. Whether in our past life or here in the next life", Oliver responded to her with a bright smile while caressing her cheek, meaning every word. He then moved from her to Nyssa who was the final one to fall into his arms.

"I missed you so much Oliver. While I wish that our own reunion wasn't this soon, if only for your sake, I'm beyond overjoyed that we're together again", she said to him, happy tears streaming down her own face as she held this wonderful man whom she had fallen in love with.

"I missed you to Nyssa, more than you can imagine", Oliver replied as he returned her embrace while using one hand to stroke her long raven hair as it gently blew in response to the soft breeze around them. She then pulled back a little and used her hand to pull his head towards hers for a deep kiss which he reciprocated after months of longing for and circling around each other, the two of them momentarily forgetting they had an audience. When they pulled apart, they turned and noticed Thea and Roy staring at them with knowing but smiling expressions, pleased to see that their two friends were finally acknowledging their feelings, and Sara, who had a surprised expression on her face. Oliver and Nyssa quickly moved to try and explain.

"Um Sara, about what you just saw..." Oliver began while Nyssa also searched for an explanation when Sara interrupted them both.

"It's alright you guys. I've actually thought that the two of you would make a cute couple. Besides, I had left to become a Legend and didn't know when or if I would ever return. I also know about your breakup with Felicity, Ollie. I admit that I still have feelings for each of you and never stopped loving either of you, but if anyone deserved to find love again, it was the two of you and I'm more than happy it was with each other", she said to them with a reassuring smile, her words eliciting a sigh of relief from them both.

"Neither of us meant to fall in love with each other, but we did and I for one don't regret a single moment", Nyssa explained to the woman she still considered her beloved despite also being in love with Oliver. "I however still feel the same way about you and I can see in my other beloved's eyes that he does as well." Sara was surprised to hear this, especially in regards to Oliver still returning her feelings. When she looked at him questioningly, but with hope in her eyes, he smiled and made his way towards her and took her in his arms again.

"Nyssa's right. I still do love you and never stopped. When I began dating Felicity, it was to distract myself from how I still felt about you, hoping that I could find happiness with someone else. I can now see what that relationship was for. A rebound, and not the best one to have. It was unfair for me and her to try and get over my feelings for you by being with her and frankly, we were always better off as friends. You Sara are the woman I love with all of my heart, along with Nyssa, and while me and you didn't last forever in the past life, I hope that we and Nyssa together can explore our feelings here in the afterlife, that is, if you want to."

Tears of joy sprang from Sara's eyes and she immediately pressed her lips to his and kissed him with all the passion she could muster and then pulled Nyssa towards them, leading the three of them to exchange kisses with each other while Thea and Roy smiled and turned away politely, wanting to give their friends a measure of privacy. A few moments later, the sound of a cough drew the attention of all five and when they turned, they saw Laurel and Tommy standing a short distance away while glowing brightly and with dazzling smiles on their faces. Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, Thea, and Roy all hurried towards them and took turns engulfing them in hugs which they happily returned, Sara hugging her sister for the longest time as they cried in each other's arms. After they all exchanged hugs and firm handshakes while taking the time to catch up with one another, Laurel and Tommy pulled back and addressed their friends.

"While we are extremely happy that all of us are together and wish that you guys could spend eternity here with us in the afterlife, the reason me and Tommy are here is because the powers that be sent us to deliver an important message to all of you", Laurel said to them, leaving Oliver, Nyssa, Sara, Roy, and Thea with raised eyebrows, wondering what this was about.

"What is the message you guys have to us sis ?", Sara asked her sister, as curious as her friends were as to what this was all about. Tommy then moved to explain.

"Basically, while me and Laurel are beyond happy that you're all here with us, the ones who rule this place feel that your lives were taken way too soon. Because of that, they've decided to give you a choice on where you go from here."

"What choice would that be ?", Oliver asked his two friends, intrigued as to what it was.

"That all of you either remain here with us, enjoying the delights of the afterlife for eternity, or be given a second chance at life back home", Laurel answered him. "If you accept this choice, each of you will be transported back to where it all began, five years ago. You can use this opportunity to create a better future for yourselves and your loved ones and perhaps even prevent some of the horrors which transpired over the past five years, such as events like the Undertaking, the Siege, Darhk's reign of terror, and most importantly, the destruction Prometheus unleashed upon your city. You could even change events to stop him before he begins."

Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, Thea, and Roy stood stunned after hearing those words. Never in their lives did they expect to be given a choice like this one. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and they knew it. After excusing themselves, the five of them moved a slight distance away and began deliberating it amongst themselves. They discussed if they really wanted to do this or not and kept going back and forth on the subject. They also discussed whether or not is was fair for them to refuse and move on when so many innocents had died from the different dark events that transpired, especially the deaths of their closest friends, and they were being given the power to try and prevent those deaths. After minutes of deliberating, the group of five made their decision together and turned back to Tommy and Laurel, who were waiting expectantly for their answer.

"After giving it a lot of thought, we've decided that we would like to accept the offer to go back", Oliver answered on behalf of everyone else. "However, we aren't just going back for our own sake but also for those whose lives were lost or destroyed by the different destructive events which were unleashed upon our city. None of those people deserved to die, especially our family and friends. All of them deserved so much better than what was allotted to them, and we wish to change things so that not only ourselves but our loved ones and the people of our city can have brighter futures." He left unspoken their wish to also save Laurel and Tommy from the cruel hand of fate. If anyone deserved to be given a second chance at life, it was the two of them and they deserved it more than anyone else.

Hearing these words brought pleased smiles onto Laurel and Tommy's faces, especially in regards to the selflessness of their choice.

"In that case, it's time for you to return home and get started on your new mission. Know that we will always love you and that you'll see us again. This is a second chance for all of us and we have the utmost faith that you will succeed", Tommy replied, addressing them all. After he finished, he and Laurel moved forward and embraced their friends tightly, wishing them well in their new endeavor and saying how much they loved them and appreciated their sacrifices while they returned their embraces just as tightly, all of them crying.

They eventually separated and as Laurel and Tommy looked on with reassuring smiles, a strong gust of wind blew in and swirled around Oliver, Sara, Nyssa, Roy, and Thea. It became stronger and stronger until it became a whirlwind which lifted them high into the sky and into a glowing sphere of light directly above them which swallowed them and they knew no more.

 **To Be Continued**

 **A/N And that ends chapter two while chapter three will officially begin our heroes journey to change their future. Just so everyone will know, I don't know when I'll update again. While it's a bad habit, I'm a procrastinator and lazy and that means my updates will be very slow. I still intend to get back into the groove of writing since I still have every intention to fill this site with Canarrow and Assassin Canarrow fics until I reach 1,000 as a whole. For those of you who have helped me accomplish this, I thank you. For those who haven't but ship those fics, I encourage you to join me and others who've joined me in writing for them, along with Olyssa, so that we can reach the 1,000 mark.**

 **For those of you who haven't been watching season 5 for whatever reason, I encourage you to please return to watching the series. This season has been fantastic, albiet with a few weaknesses. And in regards to the main complaints for season 4, this season has no Olicity, no soap opera, the romance and supernatural are kept to a minimum while the action and plot eclipse them, Oliver's Hood personality is back in action when operating as the Green Arrow and he's giving it his all when he fights along with having some amazing moves and scenes when he fights, such as in 5x1, 5x3, and 5x11 for example, the flashbacks are interesting, strong, and thematically tie into the present very strongly while also introducing Talia A'l Ghul, there are many callbacks to season 1, the big bad has no powers but is very dangerous, mysterious, and deadly like the Dark Archer and his origins are from season 1, the season's atmosphere is as dark or almost as dark as season 1 but without turning Oliver into Batman, and the hand to hand street level fights are back.**

 **Furthermore, Oliver doesn't let Felicity be the final say on his decisions for the most part this season if you guys believe she was last season, and the original season 1 uniform returns to the series with Past Oliver wearing it during the second half of the flashbacks. I don't know if it will be a regular thing for the flashbacks or not but hope so.**

 **If you guys decide to watch it again, I must warn you of two things. First, 5x6, while solid, was a bit slow, emotional, and lacking in the action department. Just a warning. Secondly, for those of you who hate Felicity, please don't watch 5x10. Just watch 5x1-5x9, skip 5x10, and hopefully enjoy the next episodes. Please trust me when I say that you guys in particular wouldn't like that episode in regards to her and I don't want your experience with the new season to be soured by it if you end up liking season 5.**

 **Have a wonderful day.**


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